Mindfully Healing

The behavior is linked to more white matter, the brain’s ‘superhighway’. People who take calculated risks are likely to be smarter than average, research finds. People making quick decisions and taking chances have more white matter in their brains. White matter is sometimes called the ‘superhighway’ of the brain: it transmits signals and regulates communication. The researchers were surprised by the result as they expected the exact opposite: that smarter people would spend more time evaluating the situation before making a decision. Dr Dagfinn Moe, study co-author, explained: “We expected

How to spot someone who is passive-aggressive and how to handle them. Some people find it very hard to express their concerns directly. Here are some of the ways that passive-aggressive people attempt to communicate their irritation: Procrastination. Deliberately being inefficient. Trying to blame others. Doing something just too late to be useful. Doing something badly so it is not useful. Saying ‘I forgot’, when they didn’t. Acting sullen. Of course all of these could just as easily not have a passive-aggressive intent — that is the advantage of this

Each exercise session was only 20-minutes long. Short bursts of high-intensity exercise provide a considerable boost to memory, new research finds. The study showed that healthy young adults increased their memory performance in a relatively short period of time. Each exercise session was only 20-minutes long, during which they did short bouts of intense exercise. Those with the greatest fitness gains saw increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This is a protein that supports the function, growth and survival of brain cells. Dr Jennifer Heisz, the study’s first author, said:

People felt their pets could tell when they were in trouble. Pets can help people manage mental health conditions, particularly in times of crisis, new research finds. People’s emotional relationship with their animals can be intense and they can provide welcome support. The review of 17 different studies found that people living with mental illness reported a variety of different benefits to having pets: People reported finding pets calming and supportive. People felt their pets could tell when they were in trouble. Pets provided a distraction from upsetting symptoms of

The mental slowdown is even bigger when a person is hungry. Sugar causes people to perform worse on tests of memory and thinking skills, new research finds. Participants consuming either table sugar (glucose) or fruit sugars (fructose) were worse at math, had slower reactions and showed poorer attention than a control group who had a sweetener. The study suggests that what is sometimes called a ‘sugar coma’ — a slow down caused by sugary foods — could be a real effect. Being very hungry before consuming the sugar made the

The best balance of fatty acids for brain health. The right balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may help promote healthy cognitive aging, new research finds. While we are used to hearing about the benefits of the fatty acids in fish and fish oils, that is only half the story. Omega-6 fatty acids can come from nuts, seeds and other oils. Typically, Western diets have too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3. Together, a balance of these fatty acids may help to reduce age-related decline and maintain the integrity

Depression and anxiety risk much higher in some people using social media. Using over seven different social media platforms is linked to a tripling in depression risk, psychological research finds. The study asked about the 11 most popular social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn. Those who used between 7 and 11 of these, had 3.1 times the depression risk. They also had 3.3 times the risk of having high levels of anxiety symptoms. Professor Brian A. Primack, who led the

Surveys of over half a million teens in the US hint at worrying trend. More time in front of screens may be to blame for the increase in depression and suicidal behaviours among young people, study finds. Girls may be particularly prone to the possible negative effects of too much time spent on smartphones tablets and computers. The conclusions come from surveys of over half a million teens in the US. These have found that suicide rates for girls aged 13-18 have increased 65% between 2010 and 2015. The number